Telephone plug cleaning machine



Jufiy 16, 1935. o. N. GIERTSEN w AL gywggmfi TELEPHONE PLUG CLEANINGMACHINE Filed April 17, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 5a I 3 f 54 QNGIERTSEN'NVENTORS LN HAMPTON U 77fac MM A T'TOR/VEY July 116, 1,935. o.N-GEERTSEN ET AL 2,003,276

TELEPHONE PLUG CLEANING MACHINE Filed April 17, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2FIG-7.2

.0.N.G/ERT$EN INVENTORS'LNHAMPTON 12 %Zac A TTORNEY Patented July 16,1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TELEPHONE Pane CLEANING MACHINE OyvindN. Giertsen, Bloomfield, N. 1., and Leon N.

Hampton, New York, Telephone Laboratories,

N. Y.,.assignors to Bell Incorporated, New

York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 17,1934, SerialNo. 720,934.

6 Claims.

This invention relates to cleaning machines, and more particularly to atype of cleaning machine for use in cleaning the contacting surfaces ofswitching plugs and the like.

In telephone exchanges, for example, in order to. assure positiveelectrical contacts between the plugs and their associated switchingelements on the switchboard, it is necessary to clean these plugsfrequently to remove the oily coating which becomes deposited ontheircontacting surfaces while handling these plugs in the course ofswitching operations. Such cleaning operation as affected by anyordinary method has proved to be difiicult, too costly and to take toomuch time.

The object of this invention is to provide a cleaning machine of thistype which will be siniple, efiicient in operation and wherein thecontacting surfaces of telephone plugs are cleaned in a positive mannerand in a minimum of time.

According to this invention, the contacting surfaces of a telephoneswitching plug are cleaned by engaging the plug with the peripheral oreffective surfaces of two sets of closely spaced abrasives bearingrubber discs, which are moved in a planetary movement through theoperation of a supporting rotatable frame connected to a motor and agearing mechanism which connects the spindles to an internal gear heldstationary on the support of the rotatable frame. Means is provided forchanging the spaced relation of the spindles on their supporting framefor adjusting the cleaning. eifect of the discs with respect to thecontacting surfaces of the plug, and a. bushing is provided for guidingthe plug in position with respect to the effective surfaces of thesediscs.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective assembly view of the machine;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing a number of operating. parts insection;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front view;

Fig. 1 is a partial side View showing one of the cleaning elements andits supporting shaft removed from the machine; and

- Fig. 5- is a cross-sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 4. V

In Fig. 1, I is a supporting base having integrally formed therewith theupright supports llv and I2 and on upright support H is mounted a sleevel4 held securely therein, by a number of screws such as l 5 shown inFig. 2.

Upright supports II and I2 serveforrotatably mounting a frame structurehaving two oppositely and obliquely disposed arms I 6 and "5Aterminating at. oneof their ends in the form of a disc portion and aspindle SP and the other end of bars I5 and [6A terminate in the form ofa. disc l8 having a hub portion 2| rotatably engaging the sleeve I4. Thespindle SP engages the rotor element ll of a ball bearing, the statorelement of which is mounted in acountersunk hole [9 in upright supportl2 and on hub 2! is rotatably mounted a rotary adjustable ring 22, Figs.1, 2, 3 and 4, which is held in position thereon by a nut screw 23.

The disc portion 23 is provided with two oppositely disposed holes suchas 25 shown in Fig. 2 for receiving the ends of spindles 26 and 21. The

disc portion I8 of the rotating frame thus formed is provided with twooppositely disposed radial slots 29 and 30 for receiving the enlargedend portions of spindles 2t and 27 and the ring 22 mounted thereon isprovided with grooves 3| and 32 for receivingthe reduced end portion. ofshafts 26. and 21. These grooves are eccentrically dis.- posed withrespect to the turning center of ring 22 as to form camming surfaceswhich upon the rotation of this ring move the shafts 25 and 2.1- in theradial slots 29 and for changing the angle relationof these spindles fora purpose that will be hereinafter describedin detail.

The disc portion 18 of the rotating frame as shown in Fig. 3 is providedadjacent its periphery with a countersunk hole 8| for receiving a spring132 and steel ball 33, thelatter engaging depressions 34 arranged in acircular row in ring 22 as shown in Fig. 5 for yieldably holding thiscamming ring in adjusted relation with respect to the disc portion l3 ofthe frame. In upright support 12 is mounted a ring gear 35 held againstrotary movement therein by a set screw 36. shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. Onspindles 26 and 2! arev rotatably mounted the sleeves and 41 having.flange portions 48 and 49 serving as abutment for a plurality ofabrasive bearing sulphur free rubber discs RD and RD2. secured on thesleeves 46 and 41 by nut screws 50 and 5! threadedly engaging the endsof the sleeves as shown. 7

Nut screws 50 and 5! are each provided with. a pair of lugs 53 and 54for operatively engaging with slots 55 and 55 in the hub portions ofgears 51 and 58 and each of these gears is provided with a bearingportion for free movement on spindles 25 and 21.

The ends of grooves 3| and 32 asshown in Fig. 5 terminate in holes 12and 13 each of a diameter corresponding to that of the enlarged portionof, spindles 26 and 21 to permit. the removal of these. spindles and.thereby the. cleaning disc assemblies RD and RDZ from their supportingframe for repair and replacement of the discs. Shafts 26 and 21,however, are normally prevented from being moved in registry with holes12 and 13 by a pair of spring arms 10 and H pivoted on the ring 22 andmovable in registry with these holes for engaging them with a springingaction.

The spindle portion SP of the frame is connected to a motor MT through agear reduction mechanism, not shown, comprising an ordinary worm screwand a worm gear mounted in the housing 60, the worm gear being mountedon a shaft 6| connected to the spindle portion SP above mentioned by acoupling FC in the form of discs 62 and 53 and a rubber ring 64 which ismounted on the end of spindle SP is compressed between these discs forfrictionally imparting movement to the rotating frame upon the operationof the motor MT.

I Ihe sets of discs RD and R132 are disposed on the spindles 26 and 21in staggered relation to each other and are made of such peripheralshape and diameter as to register with the configuration of the metallicportions of the plug P as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and a bushing68 mounted in bushing It is provided for guiding the plug P between thesets of discs RD and RDQ, this bushing having a flange abutting portion69 engaging an enlarged portion of the plug for locating it with respectto the rubber discs.

'In a typical operation of the machine, a plug P, themetallic parts ofwhich are to be cleaned,

is placed in the bushing 58 in position as shown in Fig. 2 and the ring22 rotated as to secure the proper contact pressure between the discs RDand RD2 on the surface of the plug, this adjustment being effectedthrough the camming action of slots'3l and 32 on the ends of shafts26and 2'! and their consequent radial movements in slots 29 and 3!] ofdisc portion 18 of the frame, the ring 22 being prevented from relativemovement with disc portion iii of the rotatable frame through thespring-pressed ball 33 in engagement with one of the depressions 34 inring 22.

The operation ofmotor MT upon the closure of a suitable switchingdevice, not shown, is effective to rotate the rotatable frame throughthe movement of shaft iii connected to the spindle portion S1? of thisframe by the friction clutch PC, the

rotary movement of the frame being thus effective to actuate the setsof'oleaning elements or discs RD and RD2 through the engagement of gears51 and 53 with ring gear 35 in a planetary movement on the periphery ofplug P for cleaning it.

In practice, it has been found that only a relatively small number ofturns of the rotating frame was sufiicient for the thorough cleaning ofa telephone plug, thus reducing this operation to a minimum of time.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for cleaning telephone plugs having irregular contactingsurfaces, a mounting having upright supports, a frame structurerotatablymounted on said supports, a pair of spindles journaled at both ends onsaid frame, a sleeve rotatably mounted on each of said spindles,cleaning elements carried by each of said sleeves and having effectivesurfaces corresponding to the contacting surfaces of the plug, means forpositioning the plug with respect to said elements, and a gearingmechanism for rotating said sleeves, upon the movement of said frame.

:-2. In amachine for cleaning telephone plugs having irregularcontacting surfaces, a mounting base having upright supports, a framestructure rotatably mounted on said supports, a plurality of spindlesjournaled at both ends on said frame, a sleeve rotatably mounted on eachof said spindles, cleaning elements of different geometricalcross-sections carried by each of said sleeves, a stationary gearmounted in one of said supports, a pinion carried by'each of saidsleeves and engaging said gear, means for rotating said frame to causethe movement of said sleeves, and means in one of said supports forguiding the plug in position for engaging its irregular surfaces withtheir corresponding elements on said sleeves.

' 3. In a machine for cleaning telephone plugs having non-uniformsurfaces, a mounting base having upright supports, a frame structurerotatably mounted on said supports, a pair of spindles journaled at bothends on said frame, a sleeve rotatably mounted on each of said spindles,cleaning elements carried by each of said sleeves and collectivelyengaging the non-uniform surfaces of the plug, a gearing mechanism forrotating said sleeves upon the movement of said frame, means in one ofsaid supports for guiding the plug in registering relation with saidelements, and adjustable'means or simultaneously changing the spacedrelation of said spindles for controlling the cleaning effect of each ofsaid elements on the plug.

4. In a machine for cleaning the contacting surface of telephone plugs,a base having upright supports, a frame structure rotatably mounted onsaid supports, a stationary annular gear mounted in one of saidsupports, a plurality of spindles carried by said frame and disposed inoblique relak tion to each other, a sleeve rotatably mounted on each ofsaid shafts, cleaning elements carried by each of said sleeves, a pinionmounted on each of said sleeves and engaging said annular gear forrotating said elements upon the movement of said frame, and meansadjustable for changing the oblique relation of said spindles forcontrolling the pressure contact of said elements on the plug.

.5. In a machine for cleaning the contacting surfaces of telephoneplugs, a rotatable frame structure, a pair of obliquely disposedspindles supported at each end on said frame, cleaning elements carriedby each of said spindles between their supporting points and actuated bythe movement of said frame,,means relatively rotatable with respect tosaid frame and cooperating therewith for adjusting the oblique relationof said ele ments for controlling their contact pressure on the plug,and yieldable means automatically 10perating for holding said elementsin said adjusted relation.

6. In a machine for cleaning the contacting surfaces of telephone plugs,a rotatable frame structure, a pair of spindles supported at each end onsaid frame, cleaning elements disposed in rows on said spindles and eachof said spindles being disposed obliquely with respect to the turn ingaxis of said frame, an adjustablecamming disc carried by said frame forsimultaneously I OYVIND N. GIERTSEN. LEON N. HAMPTON,

